Fired ERCOT leader refuses more than $800,000 severance pay in storm aftermath
According to the terms of his employment contract, Bill Magness' severance pay would have been equivalent to one year of his current base salary. Full Story
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![A home in South Austin is lit only by candlelight near the front door as much of Austin was still without power on Feb. 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
ERCOT overcharged power companies $16 billion for electricity during winter freeze, firm says
An independent market monitor for the Public Utility Commission of Texas wrote in a letter that the power grid operator kept market prices too high for nearly two days after widespread outages ended. Full Story
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![An aerial view of the Dove Springs neighborhood in South Austin after a severe snowstorm dumped heavy snow and plummeted temperatures. Feb. 17, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Watch: “Let’s stop with the dang excuses.” Two state lawmakers on the winter storm and the power grid.
State Rep. Craig Goldman and state Sen. José Menéndez talk with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith about the Texas Legislature's next steps following the February winter storm and the impact on the energy industry. Full Story
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CEO of Texas power grid operator terminated in aftermath of winter storm
Bill Magness is the latest official to depart following the winter storm catastrophe. Full Story
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![ERCOT CEO Bill Magness.]()
Credit: Texas A&M Smart Grid Center -
Gov. Greg Abbott taps new head of Texas utility regulator in wake of power outages
Arthur D'Andrea replaces DeAnn Walker, who resigned earlier this week as chair of the Public Utility Commission. The governor appoints commissioners to lead the PUC, which oversees the state’s grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Full Story
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![Arthur D’Andrea Chair of Public Utility Commission of Texas.]()
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U.S. House Oversight Committee investigating operator of Texas’ power grid
A subcommittee chair wrote in a letter to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas that the grid’s failures were “costly” and disproportionately affected low-income communities and communities of color. Full Story
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![The U.S. Capitol. Democratic members of the House prepare articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 12, 2021.]()
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues electricity retailer Griddy over exorbitant bills
Griddy claims it billed some customers tens of thousands of dollars due to skyrocketing wholesale electricity prices. Meanwhile, Brazos Electric Power Cooperative Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday calling those price increases "devastating." Full Story
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![Residents evacuate the Rebekah Baines Johnson Center in Austin on Feb. 17, 2021. The center lost power as a result of the winter storm that hit the state.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
Griddy customers moved to other electricity providers after ERCOT boots it from Texas market
Griddy made headlines for sending massive bills to customers after a winter storm sent wholesale electricity skyrocketing. Full Story
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![Scenes from McKinney during the winter storm affecting the entire state. The storm brought snow, ice, and freezing temperatures that are causing hazardous driving conditions and electrical outages.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Another ERCOT board member resigns as lawmakers criticize power grid operator for massive electricity outages
Texas lawmakers have questioned and criticized the Electric Reliability Council of Texas for days about the near-collapse of the state’s power grid last week. Full Story
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![Firefighters clear snow and ice from a side walk outside of the Rebekah Baines Johnson Center in East Austin on Feb. 17, 2021. Elderly residents were evacuated because of a power outage.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Watch live: Texas House and Senate holding hearings about last week's winter storm
Lawmakers will continue asking a litany of officials and executives how last week's power outages happened. Legislators in both chambers spent more than 12 hours investigating the disruptions Thursday. Full Story
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![A committee hearing room featuring plexiglass dividers on Jan. 4, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
How Texas’ power grid works
Who are the major players and how do they manage the power grid in Texas? Full Story
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![Diagram showing the components of Texas' power grid.]()
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Catastrophic Texas power outages prompt finger pointing and blame shifting at legislative hearings
Lawmakers grilled public regulators and energy grid officials about how power outages happened and why Texans weren't given more warnings about the danger. Full Story
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![Electrical workers repair a power line in Austin on Feb. 18, 2021. Many Texas residents are still without power, and many don't have clean drinking water or working water at all.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Winter storm could cost Texas more money than any disaster in state history
Lawmakers and analysts say it is too soon for an exact estimate, but the financial damage from the storm has left state lawmakers scrambling to account for the storm in the middle of the 2021 legislative session. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol during the winter storm on Feb. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas utility regulator to investigate indexed retail electric providers following massive electric bills
While these plans are allowed under state law, the Texas Public Utility Commission said that “an influx of complaints into our Customer Protection Division has caused concerns that questionable business practices might be exacerbating the situation.” Full Story
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![A car moves through a neighborhood in West Austin that is without power on Feb 18, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Resigning ERCOT board members acknowledge "pain and suffering" from extreme power grid strain that caused outages for millions of Texans
In the power grid operator’s first board meeting since Texas’ power outages, a sixth ERCOT board member confirmed his resignation, and new details show that a shortage of natural gas fuel was a bigger problem last week than in 2011. Full Story
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![A variety of power lines in Dallas near Greenville Avenue during a winter storm on Feb. 16, 2021. Thousands of Dallas residents have been without power for multiple days.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: What's next for Texas after last week's winter storm?
On this week's TribCast, Matthew talks with Ross, Alana and Erin about the political fallout from the winter storm and what the state might do to prevent future widespread power outages. Full Story
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![An aerial view of southbound Interstate 35 at Stassney Lane in south Austin after a severe snow storm hit the state. Feb. 15, 2021.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott, in statewide address, promises answers on winter weather disaster
"Tragic does not even begin to describe" the suffering Texans endured, Abbott said Wednesday evening. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott spoke at a press conference about the winter storm that was approaching Texas on Feb. 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Winter storm response should focus on public safety, not dollars
For lack of heat and water, people died last week — in the great state of Texas and in their own homes — who would be alive right now, had the state taken heed of recommendations made after past winter storms and blackouts. Full Story
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![The Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas in Austin on Feb. 17, 2021.]()
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ERCOT board members who live outside of Texas are resigning in the aftermath of the power outage, winter storm
Five board members, including the chair, who do not live in Texas will resign. A candidate for another position on the board has withdrawn his application. The vacancies will not immediately be filled. Full Story
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![A CVS Pharmacy in South Austin is lit only by the lights of a parked car. Various parts throughout the state lost power as a result of the winter storm.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Texas woman who received $9,300 electricity bill files class-action lawsuit against wholesale electricity provider Griddy
A Chambers County resident filed a class-action lawsuit against electricity retailer Griddy on Monday, accusing the provider of price gouging customers during last week’s freeze. She is seeking $1 billion in relief for affected customers. Full Story
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![Snow of the roof of houses in South Austin after a massive snowstorm hit the state. Feb. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune